Earth Day 2020 – Non-Fiction Books You Should be Reading:

In celebration of Earth Day 2020, I thought I would compile a list of non-fiction books that have both informed me and inspired me in the fight against climate change. This is by no means an exhaustive list, and I very much look forward to hearing your recommendations too!

Wednesday 22nd April 2020 represents the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The theme for this year is climate action: “the enormous challenges — but also the vast opportunities — of acting on climate change have distinguished the issue as the most pressing topic for the 50th anniversary. Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable”.

I read Client Earth at the beginning of 2019, and it was a great way to kick off the year. This book made me both laugh and cry. It appealed to my legal undergraduate side, and I found that Thornton and Goodman both did a fantastic job of keeping the reader captivated, whilst explaining the complicated legal processes.

In particular I enjoyed the fact that it illustrated that climate action can take place on many levels. Not only can we take individual actions in our daily lives, but there are also people challenging multi-nationals in one of the environments they take seriously – the courts. Ultimately Client Earth is a book about hope.

In contrast to Client Earth highlighting large scale climate action, Operation Sustainable Human is an incredibly accessible how-to guide for personal action. It is incredibly short – only 55 pages! – and doesn’t take long to read. This also means that it is a great reference point and something that you can keep coming back to as a reminder.

Based around 4 key action points, MacDonald’s aim is to enable you to make the highest-impact, in the shortest period of time. A brilliant, practical read.

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

On Fire by Naomi Klein, No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

Another short read, No One is Too Small to Make a Difference is a book almost everyone has heard of. And even if you haven’t heard of the book, you’ve definitely heard of the author – Greta Thunberg. Thunberg has been brilliant in raising the climate crisis to the forefront of peoples’ minds, and into the mainstream.

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference is a collection of speeches that Thunberg has made, and is a very emotive book. As with Operation Sustainable Human, it is a great reference point for when you’re feeling low, and need reminding of the importance of this issue.

As with Operation Sustainable Human, How to Break Up with Fast Fashion is a very practical read. Bravo’s tone feels as though you are having a non-judgemental conversation with a friend, whilst offering tangible and implementable strategies to reduce your impact on the environment through your relationship with fast fashion.

I was lucky enough to be sent an advance readers copy of How to Break Up with Fast Fashion towards the end of 2019 and have waxed lyrical to anybody that will listen to me since. It’s a great read for a deeper dive into how one element of our lives can impact the climate.

I feel like no post about the climate crisis and taking climate action would be complete without a reference to Extinction Rebellion. They have been responsible for shutting down cities all over the world with their protests against climate change; they embody making a public stance.

This is Not a Drill is a collection of essays, again designed to inform, inspire, and shock. It is both incredibly practical, and harrowingly human – a must read.

What books do you think are must reads on the climate crisis? Are you doing anything to celebrate Earth Day 2020?